Daniel's TV Blog

I like TV and so should you

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Bad Parents!

So the parents on Gossip Girl are winning the awards for worst parents ever. Why? Because their kids are drinking like a gay couple in a bad relationship. And not hanging out drinking beer at a friends house whose parents are out. They are drinking in bars located in the hotel where there are living. They are drinking at high profile brunches with their parents sitting at adjacent tables. They are drinking at huge catered parties that are located in bars with no parent supervision. Good parents wouldn't let their kids go to parties with an open bar or force them to come to a champagne brunch against their will. These parents suck, but the show is kinda fun.

X-Men on TV

X-Men rip off are all the rage on TV. I love 2/3 of them. Painkiller Jane is awful.

Last week The 4400 ended it's fourth season with yet another this-changes-everything season finale. This time the forgotten younger brother of the leader of the "good" x-men group took the promicin shot to become an x-man. Of course his ability was being able to create a promicin virus. Everyone he can in contact with became infected and began to infect others. 50% of those died and the others became x-men themselves, including the way-to-good-looking head of NTAC. But will sexy uninfected Tom Baldwin take the shot on purpose? The book from the past says "yes".

Just a week after The 4400 ended, x-men where back on TV with a new Heroes. A great start to a second season. Matt and his SSDM Mohinder are taking care of Molly and trying to infiltrate "the company". Claire and family are trying to be normal but another fly-boy has entered her life. Hiro is in the past hanging out with his idol Kensei. Is he an x-man? Sulu got tossed from a building, but will that kill him. If so, for how long? Who was the assassin? Nathan has gotten all scruffy and Peter is looking hot in Ireland. The two x-men come from Central America seem to kill people. They are looking for Mohinder. Soon Veronica Mars joins the cast. Yay, Veronica!

She's Ugly!

Ugly Betty premier is tonight. If you don't remember last season, the big cliffhanger was Santos getting shot trying to get to Justin's musical performance of West Side Story. Alexis and Daniel got in a car accident on a dark deserted curvy road in the middle of Manhattan. Wilhelmina got Brandford to propose and is planning their wedding. Claire Meede breaks out of the prison transfer vehicle and was last seen running down the street in chains. Christina and Amanda got locked in the love dungeon where they discovered that Amanda was actually Fey Sommers daughter. Is Brandford her father? Is Daniel her brother? Eww. And finally, Charlie announced she's preggers with Henry's baby and the two left New York FOREVA!

But he'll be back. Both Henry and Clair are joining the cast full time this season, which starts tonight. I'm hosting the season premier party and everyone is welcome. Well, not everyone.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Premier Week

When I was a kid, the new fall shows all started the last two weeks of September. It was a wonderful treat to overcome the harsh reality of back-to-school. Recently, there hasn't really been a concept of premier week. Shows would start from late August until early November. Lame. The good news is this year Premier Week is back, baby. Last night was the official kick off with new episodes of the Simpsons and Family Guy (which I haven't watched yet) and it continues all week until next Sunday with the return of Desperate Housewives. A few shows started last week and a few start next week, but most of the magic of television happens this week.

Don't miss Chuck and Heroes tonight on NBC and How I Met Your Mother on CBS.--Daniel

Sunday, September 23, 2007

The Emmy Post

There was lots of discussion of the Emmy's this year, mostly about Sally Field getting cut off by the censor ball. The thing I noticed was the wide variety of winners this year. I was expecting the sopranos to dominate the drama category. They ended up only winning best drama and no acting awards. Indeed no show won more than one major award. Here's the list.

Drama series - The Sopranos

Actor, drama series - James Spader, Boston Legal

Actress, drama series - Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters

Supporting actor, drama series - Terry O'Quinn, Lost

Supporting actress, drama series - Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy

Comedy series - 30 Rock

Actor, comedy series - Ricky Gervais, Extras

Actress, comedy series - America Ferrera, Ugly Betty

Supporting actor, comedy series - Jeremy Piven, Entourage

Supporting actress, comedy series - Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl

See, no duplicates. I don't consider directing or writing as major awards.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

The Funniest Thing on YouTube

My good friend Jeff turned me on to this YouTube video which after continuous watchings I've decided is the funniest thing on YouTube. It's is important to understand the background before watching.

So back in the 80's there was this woman named Brenda Dickson who was on the Young and the Restless. She was such a diva that she released a vanity video for her fans. Willie sent me this video months ago. It is very funny on it's own because it is so over the top. "Do you like my gown? It's very dramatic." It's completely serious. She discusses style, fashion, makeup, workout, and diet tips. Shortly after releasing this video she was fired from Y&R for being difficult to work with.

So earlier this year her vanity video was added to YouTube and several parody videos have been made. This is my favorite. They've taken the video and put a different voice over. It starts of strong, with a string of euphemisms for her lady area including fuzzy Mimosa and snackateria and stays funny all the way through.

I've watched this so many times so and I still laugh every time. There are a couple other funny. The first is a clip from The Soup and the second is some gay boys making their own version of the vanity video.

BACK TO YOU (FOX) - Although it has great stars, I'm not interest in a sitcom about two people who hate each other and then fall in love or something.

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (FOX) - How many cooking reality show have there been? I won't watch this one either.

ONLINE NATION (CW) - If something is good online that is were I'll watch it, not on TV.

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS) - TiVo gave me the pilot on-demand somehow. It looks good but there are other things in this time slot so this gets the ax.

CANE (CBS) - Family drama staring Jimmy Smits. It's the first family drama with a Latino family. I'm just not interested.

PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC) - It's the most anticipated new show of the season. I'm not watching it but I think it will be very successful. I think it will outshine Grey's Anatomy.

BIG SHOTS (ABC) - Four CEOs in New York. If one was gay I'd watch but it just looks uninteresting as is.

MOONLIGHT (CBS) - It's a show about a vampire detective and it's not Angel. I won't watch a vampire show or movie unless it takes place in the Buffy-verse.

ALIENS IN AMERICA (CW) - A sitcom with a Pakistani exchange student living with a family. Don't exchange students usually leave after a year? How can the sustain this premise? I won't be around to find out.

CAVEMEN (ABC) - The Gieco commercials cavemen get their own show. Cavemen, really?

CARPOOLERS (ABC) - This looks good but I don't have time in my schedule for this. Four guys carpool to work together and discuss their lives. I think this could be very successful.

LIFE IS WILD (CW) - It's the Brady Bunch moves to Africa. NY vet moves his wife, children, and step-children to a game reserve in Africa. It sounds like something that should be on ABC Family.

WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB (ABC) - It's Law and Order:CSI with women.

CASHMERE MAFIA (ABC) - This Sex and the City clone follows four women as they navigate their lives and careers in NYC. Just like Sex and the City except it will be lame. This has my vote for first cancelled show.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

I'm happy this show is back but there's two things I don't like about it. (1) I like this as a summer show. I think it is going to get lost this year debuting in the fall. (2) FX needs to sync their times up with TiVo. I missed the end of the Dumpster Baby episode last night.

There are many good things though. (1) They reruns these constantly so I set my TiVo to catch the episode again tonight. (2) They have two new episodes this week and two new episodes next week. (3) Danny Devito is back as Dennis and Dee's dad. Also he's Charlie's dad although he refuses to accept it. He had an affair with Charlie's mom but made her get an abortion. She did, but Charlie survived. That's the kind of outrageous story is something we can enjoy this season.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

What new shows I'm watching this fall

The new season is about to begin. Unlike many recent years, this year has a far more traditional debut sequence. Most everything starts within the next three weeks. In the past shows have premiered from August through November. So here are the shows I plan on watching this fall.

DIRTY SEXY MONEY (ABC) - Finally a nighttime soap about the super-rich. The Carrington's were the richest family in Colorado, but this family is a super-rich Manhattan family. I like the idea of the show being from the point of view of the new family lawyer.

PUSHING DAISIES (ABC) - This has been getting lots of buzz. The premise sounds great: a pie maker has the ability to bring people back from the dead with a touch. But a second touch sends them back to the great beyond. The Principal from Boston Public plays a detective who the pie dude helps solve the murder of the people he brings back from the dead. The love story between him and a girl he brings back from the dead but can't touch already sounds tiring.

VIVA LAUGHLIN (CBS) - It's a musical television show about a casino in Laughlin. Laughlin is old people Las Vegas. That's where my parents go. The Wolverine is a recurring character as a rival casino owner. Melanie Griffin also costars. They had be at "musical"

BIONIC WOMAN (NBC) - Jamie Summers is back! How could I not watch this? Oh yeah, they cast homophobe Issiah Washington for a six episode arc. Hopefully his character dies or I may have to drop this.

CHUCK (NBC) - A nerd who works at a Best Buy type store gets all the government secrets downloaded into his brain and becomes a reluctant secret agent. Plus super hot Adam Baldwin from Firefly costars. This is my number one choice for the fall.

LIFE (NBC) - I may drop this show after a few episodes. I'm not one for the standard police procedural but this has a good mystery behind it. The main character was frame for murder and spent 11 years in jail. Now in addition to the case of the week, he is also working on finding out who framed him in the first place.

JOURNEYMAN (NBC) - Time travel is so easy to mess up I don't know why I'm planning to watch this. All I know is a guy starts bouncing through the recent past for no reason. It may be Quantum Leapish. I'll give it a try.

K-VILLE (FOX) - It's a cop show filmed and set in post Katrina New Orleans. The partners don't much care for each other.

GOSSIP GIRL (CW) - It's The OC in NY. Who is the Gossip Girl who blogs about her fellow students at this exclusive Upper East Side prep school? I want to know!

REAPER (CW) - This sounds like lots of fun. That guy from The Loop finds out he was sold to the devil by his parents as a baby. The devil is played by Laura Palmer's father/murderer. Now the guy is 21 and has to become the devil's bounty hunter. It's a great action/sci-fi/comedy!

Monday, September 10, 2007

Sherri Shepherd joins The View

Today on The View it was announced that Sherri Shepherd would be joining full time as the fifth co-host. All last year they just had four which meant when Barbara Wah-wah was off, they would have a guest host. Now they don't need to. I think she's going to be good on the show. I wasn't a big fan of hers last year when she talked about getting back together with her husband after he cheated on her and had a baby with another woman while they were married. But now she gotten wise and left his ass. Good for her. She show is getting pretty heavy on the comediennes which would make it even more fun to watch.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Kathy Griffin wins an Emmy!

Kathy G won an Emmy for Best Reality Show (non-competition) at yesterday's technical Emmy award ceremony. The big Emmy's are given out a week from today. Last year she made a big spectacle after loosing to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This year she made an even bigger splash by winner. She got up on stage and said:

"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this. He had nothing to do with this," Griffin said. "Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now."

This is sure to piss off a great number of people. This brilliant move could get her off the D-List permanently. If people start protests and boycotts, it will get huge press. She would become a household name for sure. Let's hope the fanatics do their thing. I can't wait to watch The View and hear what they have to say. Even better, Kathy is scheduled to appear on Ellen on Thursday. This should be a spectacular week for our Kathy!

When is my show starting or returning?

The folks are TVSquad are nice enough to publish a list of the start dates for all the fall shows. Click here for the complete list. The following is a list of shows I am interested in. ALL CAPS are new shows.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Torchwood starts tonight

This is my first mobile post from my new iphone. I'm eating with my left hand and typing with my right.

Tonight Torchwood starts on BBC America. This is sci fi show where an elite team fight aliens each week. Sounds like a lot of recent sci fi shows, huh? What makes this show different and worth watching is S-E-X. Reviews report a lot of sexy behavior between the characters. More importantly the lead hero, Captain Jack Harkness, is an openly bisexual dude from the future. He is played by super sexy John Barrowman who is openly gay in real life. Also even though he his Scottish he grew up in the US so he has no fruity accent. Don't miss the premier. Better yet, just come over to my house at nine and watch it with me.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Planet Unicorn Heyyy

Over the weekend I was at Camp and fellow camper Dustin told me about Planet Unicorn. He could not stop laughing when just telling me about it. It was the first thing I looked up when I got home. Planet Unicorn is a YouTube animated show about a planet full of unicorns wished into existence by a 8-year-old gay boy after finding a magic lamp. OMGYG, this show is so funny. Here is episode 1:

You can check out all the episodes here: http://www.planetunicorn.tv/episodes.htmlI cannot get enough of this. I especially love the starting. I think I'll buy it as a ring tone for my new iPhone. That's right, I bought an iPhone today. Can I buy ring tone for my new iPhone? There's so much about my new iPhone I don't understand yet.

Whoopie!

This morning while enjoying a bowl of Wheetabix cereal I watched the first two episodes of The View's new Season 11 which started on Tuesday. Whoopie started full time this week. I only watched "Hot Topics". Here are some interesting things of note:

Whoopie created controversy on her first day by being a black apologist for Michael Vick. She later said she wasn't trying to make excuses but was just explaining what she sees as his point of view. I think the bigger controversy should be the fact that she suggested that southerners were so uncivilized they would realize killing dogs for sport was not right. He knew what he was doing was wrong.

Elisabitch waited until day 2 of the season to bash President Clinton. Like many other Republicans she can't stop trying to rewrite how great of a president he was with every opportunity. I hate her.

All of them seem to completely believe in the guilt of Senator Craig. I don't think anyone in America believe he wasn't looking for sex. Ewww.

A fifth panelist will be announced on Monday. This is good because everyone is sooooo old. Besides pregers Elisabitch, everyone else is menopausal. They need a late 30's, early 40's chick. Or maybe an 21 year old. Elisabitch is getting old.

About Me

I love TV. Movies are great but there's so much more story and character development that can be accomplished in episodic television. Since I started unwittingly studying television over 25 years ago I've noticed many patterns and advancements. I will share my views, opinions, and TV news several times a week. Please leave your own comments.